Stefan Stuven, Josiah Alexis third at Caribbean Dinghy Championship

STEFAN Stuven and Josiah Alexis came closest to delivering a victory for Trinidad and Tobago at the 2024 Caribbean Dinghy Championship, finishing with precious bronze medals in their competitive ILCA (laser) seven and six classes.

Stuven and his rival Ozani Lafond of Antigua, the eventual winner, traded leads in an enthralling finish to the three-day regatta at the St Maarten Yacht Club, Simpson Bay, on October 27.

Lafond topped the group with 22 points after winning 11 of the 15 races in the ILCA seven division.

Benoit Meesemaecker of St Barthélemy placed second with 33 points, ahead of Stuven on 46 points.

Alexis also stood out, finishing third in the ILCA six class, with 49 points. Shanoy Malone (18 points) of Antigua and St Maarten’s Rio Stomp (40 points), finished ahead.

Malone dominated the division, winning 13 of his 15 races.

Antigua’s Carrack Jones sealed the ILCA four fleet division, amassing 26 points, well below his nearest challenger Clement Le Normand of St Maarten with 38 points. Zev Bowman represented TT and finished sixth with 93 points.

The championship concluded with Antigua taking home the Nation's Cup Trophy for the fifth consecutive year. Antigua led the standings with 4,432 points, followed by St Maarten with 4,260 points and St Martin in third with 3,942 points.

In the optimist fleet, St Maarten's Nathan Sheppard secured the overall title with two victories, while Antigua’s Tyden Jones claimed the second spot. Aymeric Arminjon from St Martin placed third. Sariyah Stoute placed fifth of ten sailors.

The RS Zest class saw St Maarten duo, Oskar Jarrett Versteegden and Chris Meekhof, top the lot.

Sion Gachette, crew, and Mikhaela Browne, at the helm, placed third for TT.

Antigua’s Patrick Greensmith and Alistair Knoblauch captured victory in the RS quest class. Akeme Wilson and Triston Regis-Munroe represented TT with class, finishing fourth.